


And You've Got Us Feeling Alright

by NanixErka



Series: The Dragon of the MCU (OC Insert AU) [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Grief, Irondad, Original Character-centric, Piano, So Much Piano, Steven Universe reference, i love my dragon boy okay?, references to semi obscure piano pieces, spiderbro, undertale reference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 08:43:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17546372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanixErka/pseuds/NanixErka
Summary: Jose didn't mean for his piano playing to become something so few people knewDidn't mean for it to become precious to himTo become his outlet.But things just happen like that, sometimes





	And You've Got Us Feeling Alright

**Author's Note:**

> Well this was fun

Jose had a lot of secrets. Way too many for someone barely on the cusp of 14.

But there they were, just tucked away in his head for no one to see but him. 

Some of those secrets are big ones, the worst ones, the ones that no one knew or would know unless he was feeling particularly trustworthy.

There were the milder secrets. Stuff he’d rather people not know, but if they found it out it wouldn’t be the end of the world (The story of how he got the scar on the right side of his face is one of those) 

Then there’s the stuff that he never actually intended to be a secret, they just kind of, became secrets. 

His reading glasses was one, his piano playing was another 

It hadn’t started out as secretive, not even close. When he first tapped at the keys of a baby grand at his aunt's house when he was four he’d fallen in love with the gentle tones of the piano, and had pretty much demanded lessons when he got home. 

His love blossomed into a god given ability, a passion - and he was playing Chopin by the time he was nine years old. Becoming a dragon didn’t hinder him in the slightest. He never stopped playing, never stopped humming tunes and tapping his fingers. 

Hell, even losing his arm hadn’t hindered him much, mostly because his father that told Tony that the arm he creates better let that boy play. 

Tony was actually the first Avenger to learn of Jose’s ability. Even Fury wasn’t aware of the talent. And when Tony learned of it all he asked for was a demonstration to help calibrate the arms “hand/eye coordination”, as he put it 

It took Jose a solid hour but he was playing Einaudi with 98 percent accuracy and Tony had never felt closer to the kid or his family. When he saw Jose’s mother hold back tears of joy and relief at seeing her son play for the first time in two months, just a smidge of a guilt he carried around like a cross on his back was relieved. 

And then, the accident 

Thor had been - for lack of a better term - instrumental in getting Jose to let his feelings out. 

He’d never been a “heart on your sleeve” type, even as young child. But just on the cusp of teendom? He seemed to take every opportunity not to show how he was feeling. When Thor bought the issue up to Tony during one of his numerous visits to earth, the billionaire suggested piano, and Thor eagerly agreed. Though piano’s were not too easy to come by in Asgard (Organs were more readily available, honestly), he managed to find a way to get a baby grand into one of the studies, and offered it to play “whenever he so pleased” 

And play he did. 

About two weeks after the piano had been bought into the palace, Thor was awoken by a haunting, heavy melody filling the rather empty halls. He went to the study, Finding Jose angrily banging at the keys and pushing down on the pedals with perhaps more force than necessary. He looked angry, His eyes stinging with tears he rarely let fall. 

Lady Sif approached behind Thor, whispering

“... It sounds like sorrow” she noted “.... Horrid, endless grieving” 

Thor was inclined to agree. 

Jose stopped playing abruptly a few minutes later- devolving into tears. 

It was a pattern, really. Repress, play, cry, repeat. Thor kept careful track, of only to see if the pattern became more or less frequent, and saw that it went on for only a month before he seemed to have finally let it all out. 

Thor couldn’t lie to himself that it was a painful, but necessary thing. Grief manifested differently for everyone, and if Jose’s method was this, then Thor would let him grieve. It was only fair. 

And then… Siberia happened, and Jose was back on Earth with Tony Stark. 

There was a piano in the penthouse, and Jose was tempted to play a few times, but never did. 

It wasn’t his to play, after all. There was a name, painted in lovely script along one side

“Maria Stark” 

One night, after a nasty dream (not really a nightmare, but certainly unpleasant) Jose was sitting in the kitchen with a cup of warmed milk, gazing blankly into said cup. About 15 minute in, he heard the start of a song. Some old, classic italian piece he remembered sight reading when he was about 7. Sliding off of his seat and headed towards it, his slippers making no sound on the kitchen tile, nor the hardwood hallways. 

He stood silently at the entrance to the room, and watched with a quiet sort of surprise as Anthony Stark pressed into the ivory, elucidating a tune Jose had usually associated with care, but somehow felt cold as interpreted by the older man. 

He waited until the song ended before speaking “Didn’t know you played” 

There was a pause before he answered 

“You know Fantasia?” 

Jose furrowed his brow “in F minor?” 

“The very same” 

“Only played part 1 a handful of times. Why?” Jose knew the answer. 

Tony just moved his head slightly and scooted on the bench “Come sit” 

The younger man quietly obliged. “Who taught you?” 

“My mother. You?” 

“I had this piano teacher for a year or so. He was dumb but he suggested Fantasia.” Jose shrugged. Tony almost chuckled. 

Tony played a scale “You or me start?” 

Peter’s hands just reached up and played the starting chord with such a gently reverence the older man nearly choked on his breath. 

And so they played. It was a little tricky- as this duet is supposed to be played on two different pianos - but they made it work. By the end of the tune they both seemed more tired than before

“.. You can play here whenever you need, Dragon Tales” 

“... Thanks, Tio” 

And so, Jose took to playing every once and awhile when in the tower. He’d moved out to Queens, sure, but he was there at least once a week for “quality time”. That wasn’t how Peter found out, anyway (after all the business with Homecoming). 

“I can’t believe you got first pick piano, congrats!” Peter complimented, while the two were walking to Jose’s place. 

“Heh, thanks. Still not first pic for decathlon?” Jose grinned cheekily, teasing

Peter lightly shoved him. “Shush. I still haven’t heard you play” 

“Come over to the tower tomorrow. I’ll play a little something” Jose offered, and Peter gladly took him up on it. 

When Peter arrived, they sat around playing Switch for a bit before FRIDAY announced that All of the adults had left the lower floor for the day (the floor below them was R&D, and he didn’t like playing when he knew they were trying to work). 

Peter decided to keep it modern, and started to tap away at the keys 

“... Is that Undertale?” 

“That’s Undertale” he answered as he continued to play “it's raining somewhere else”. Peter didn’t speak again until he’s finished 

“That was beautiful, Jose” Peter said quietly, looking out the window at the gloomy skyline. 

“Thanks, Pete. You play any instruments?” 

“I was a drummer in band but that’s about it” Peter answered with a shrug. 

“Huh” Jose commented, playing a few keys “Lame” 

“Don’t be rude” Peter tried to hide an amused grin. 

Jose just grinned back, playing a few more keys before the tune started. Peter recognized it immediately, and didn’t even really think about it before he started to sing along. 

“If I could, begin to be, half of what you think of me…” 

The accompanying rain outside left the boys feeling tranquil as the song continued. It felt like a respite, though from what they couldn’t tell. 

Peace was hard to come by most days, but in times like this… It felt almost easy. 

Jose hoped it would last, for just a little while

**Author's Note:**

> bother meee over at DoodleImprovement on Tumblr


End file.
